Sleeping Habits of Elite Athletes

The more we study sleep quality, the more we realize how integral a restful night’s sleep is to a productive day. This is especially true for athletes who need additional rest to recover from their demanding sports. Research continues to find that athletes can increase their performance, focus, and even career longevity by simply getting more high-quality sleep.

Let’s take a look at the sleeping habits of some elite athletes and get their thoughts on the importance of sleep to achieving success.

“As an athlete, I know how important sleep is to my performance. When I get a good night’s sleep, my joints and bones feel rejuvenated and I wake up ready to tackle my workouts and competitions.

Roger Federer - 20x Grand Slam Singles Champion (Tennis)11-12 hours of sleep per night.“If I don’t sleep 11-12 hours a day, it’s not right. Sleeping has become quite important. I believe it's really the sleep that gives you energy again down the road.”

LeBron James - 4x NBA MVP(Basketball)

12 hours of sleep per night.

"Sleep is the most important thing when it comes to recovery. And it's very tough with our schedule. Our schedule keeps us up late at night, and most of the time it wakes us up early in the morning. There’s no better recovery than sleep."

Tom Brady - 5x Super Bowl Champion (Football)

8.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

“I think sleep is so important because I break my body down so much with my sport. It’s the only place to get the recovery that I need.”

Kevin Durant - 9x NBA All-Star (Basketball)

8 hours of sleep per night.“Every day is a new chance to challenge myself and push my training to the next level, but I can only do that if I keep my energy up. Sleep is an important part of that.”

Michelle Wie - 4x LPGA Tour Winner (Golf)

At least 10hourof sleep per night.

“When I can, I’ll sleep more than 12 hours, and I don’t feel very good if I get less than 10.”